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The 1966 Jackson (MS) F5 Tornado

| March 2, 2007 @ 11:26 pm | 1 Reply

On Thursday, March 3, 1966, powerful low pressure was over South Dakota. A strong cold front stretched south from the low into Texas. A warm front was moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. Showers were reported over parts of Mississippi and Alabama. Morning temperatures were in the 50s, as were the dewpoints.

About 4 p.m., a tornado touched down near Learned in Hinds County, Mississippi. The twister moved east northeast toward the City of Jackson. The extremely violent F5 tornado ripped through the southern part of the city. Twelve people were killed and one hundred injured as the Candlestick Park shopping center, which was virtually destroyed. Cars were thrown more than one half mile and the pavement was scoured from roads.

Over one thousand homes were damaged and nineteen killed in Hinds County, mostly in Jackson. The storm then passed into Rankin County, where six people died. An industrial complex near Flowood was heavily damaged.

The storm turned demonic over Scott County. Here the storm was at its destructive worst. Twenty six died in rural Scott County and six died after it passed into Leake County.Total storm related fatalities were fifty seven with 504 injured along the seventy five mile path. Damage was set at $18 million. The tornado ranks as the sixth deadliest in Mississippi history.

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About the Author ()

Bill Murray is the President of The Weather Factory. He is the site's official weather historian and a weekend forecaster. He also anchors the site's severe weather coverage. Bill Murray is the proud holder of National Weather Association Digital Seal #0001 @wxhistorian

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